Get a good travel insurance (e.g. World Nomads, trusted by Lonely Planet and National Geographic – check our review) which covers loss of valuables.

5. Fake / unofficial taxis

Buenos Aires

How it works:

There are quite a number of these “official looking” cabs which look similar to the radio taxis. You will find touts of these unofficial taxis at the airport,tourist attractions and transportation hubs.

However, these cabs are not registered with the government and hence not subject to the industry’s rules and regulations.

This means there is a high likelihood of being overcharged or even robbed by them.

What to do:

Do not take an unofficial taxi. If you do take one, take a photo of the car plate and the driver’s license in case anything goes wrong.

Else, consider these options:

Take the official taxis or remis, where you prepay inside the airport at a taxi counter (out of the airport, only take radio taxis)

Pre-arrange vehicle pick up through your hotel / hostel or through day tour platforms like Viator (largest globally and in Argentina).

Book a rental car through AutoEurope – over 60 years of industry experience, super reliable with best price guarantee.

Use a taxi booking app like BA Taxi, Uber, Safer Taxi.

6. Taxis with rigged meters

Image source: snowbrains.com

How it works:

A perennial issue all over the world (e.g. Brazil, Philippines, etc), there are taxis which rig meters, or charge you more than what the meter shows by claiming certain additional charges.

Many guidebooks recommend taking radio taxis, that is one way but unfortunately not enough, as there are radio taxis who perpetrate these scams as well.

What to do:

Monitor the meter to see if it is jumping too fast or by too much.

7. Taxis without meters

How it works:

There are drivers who insist on not using the meter but on charging a flat fare, which is in most cases inflated.

What to do:

Take only those which use meters.

Alternatively, you can also estimate the fair price of any route and use that to negotiate. You can do so by checking:

8. Longhauling taxis

There are taxis which take you on a longer route then required or drive you crowded areas just to inflate the fare.

What to do:

In the cab, be very clear when communicating the destination you are heading to. More prominent landmarks around your destination can be mentioned.

During the ride, check your phone’s GPS to make sure you are headed in the correct direction.

Sometimes, drivers do take detours to avoid traffic jams, but that should not detract from the correct general direction.

9. Currency switcheroo

Image source: bigthink.com

How it works:

This is one usually perpetrated by taxi drivers and can be executed in different forms.

One reported scenario is that the driver offers to help you review your pesos as you may be unfamiliar with the currency.

Then, without you realizing, he swaps your good bills with bad bills (i.e. counterfeits) of his. He then accuses you of passing him a counterfeit note.

Another reported scenario is that when you pass the driver a big note, some of the more skillful ones can pretend to rummage through their wallet, quickly swap it with a fake and then pass it back to you claiming that they have no change.

What to do:

Reject the “kind” offer and try to pay with small notes. If not, ask the driver if he has change for $x first before passing a big note over.

10. Taxi set-up robbery

How it works:

What happens is that when you board a taxi and the driver starts using the phone for a call or SMS, there’s a chance that he’s setting up a robbery further down a corner.

That is where his accomplices are waiting. When the accomplices attack your cab, the driver will play along, act scared, give up his wallet and ask you to do the same.

What to do:

Refuse to board / get out if you see the driver start using his phone right upon boarding. Better to be safe than sorry.

Volcanic eruption: avoid areas downwind and river valleys downstream of the volcano, do not drive in heavy ash fall, seek shelter (if no need to evacuate) or high ground if no shelter (crouch down away from volcano, cover head with arms).

4. Transport safety

How it works:

Argentina has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world, a couple of factors to watch out for: